Over 27,000 Ethiopians repatriated from Saudi, government cites reasons

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the successful repatriation of more than 27,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

This was revealed during a media briefing by the Spokesperson of the Ministry, Ambassador Nebiyu Tedla, who emphasized the government’s commitment to bringing back Ethiopians facing difficult situations abroad.

Last month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined a plan to repatriate 70,000 Ethiopians from Saudi Arabia. To facilitate this effort, a national committee comprising various government agencies was established.

Ambassador Tedla highlighted that this committee has been actively collaborating with relevant stakeholders to manage the return of the Ethiopians and provide them with shelter upon their arrival in Addis Ababa.

“So far, the government has successfully repatriated over 27,000 individuals from Saudi Arabia,” said Ambassador Tedla, noting that three flights are being conducted daily, four days a week, to continue bringing citizens back home.

In addition to the repatriation efforts, Ambassador Tedla also briefed the media on the major diplomatic activities carried out by the Ministry in recent days.

Saudi Arabia recently issued a directive for foreign workers residing in the country without legal documentation to depart or risk facing imprisonment.

This directive has particularly affected Ethiopian nationals, who constitute a substantial portion of the foreign population in Saudi Arabia, estimated at 750,000 by the UN migration agency IOM.

Alarmingly, more than half of these Ethiopians are believed to be residing in the country irregularly.

Among the Ethiopian population in Saudi Arabia are individuals seeking employment opportunities, as well as refugees fleeing conflict and instability in the Horn of Africa region